The Unicode Consortium Unveils 157 New Emojis For 2018

TechCrunch reports that after months of debate, the Unicode Consortium published their emoji list for 2018, which adds 157 new characters to the list. This brings the total number of approved emojis to 2,823. Now Apple, Microsoft, and Google will be able to tune them up to their specifications. The Emoji 11.0 collection will be released in June, and will likely hit phones and iPads in August or September.

No one seems happier with the release than Gingers. For the first time emojis will include a redhead, a group that so far had been ignored.

Not only redheads get attention in this new update. There will be emojis for curly hair, white hair, and bald heads, which will all be available for men and women of every skin tone. Animals and food also are well represented.

Other emojis from the list:

Supernatural Beings:

Wizard

Man Genie

Vampire

Mermaid

Woman Fairy

Activities:

Meditation

Breastfeeding

Rock Climbing

Animals:

Giraffe

Hedgehog

Zebra

Prehistoric Animals:

T-Rex

Sauropod

Food:

Coconut

Sandwich

Take-out Box

Steak

Pretzel

Bowl and Spoon

Canned Food

Fortune Cookie

Pie

Dumpling

Cup with a Straw

Items of Clothing:

Gloves

Scarf

Coat

Baseball Cap

Flags:

Flag of England

Flag of Scotland

Flag of Wales

Miscellaneous Items:

Sled

Yellow Heart

Curling Stone

Flying Saucer

These are the official emoji classifications, however, according to The Sun, users are now projecting their own meanings to the symbols. A study of 134 people conducted at Goldsmiths University in London uncovered alternate interpretations for the icons consisting of a mixture of affectionate and sinister “special meanings.”

The research paper “Why (pizza emoji) means ‘I love you'” discovered a secret emoji language, mostly used by lovers, followed by family members and friends, where pizza and cheese are signs of affection, and the bathtub emoji represents death. Six percent of texters use emojis to symbolize criminal activity and sex.

Dr. Sarah Wisema, a co-author of the study, said that the creators of emojis must bear in mind the subtle way that people repurpose the icons and consider the impact their design could have on alternative meanings in the future.

For a complete list of the 2018 emojis, you can visit Emojipedia.